Australian scientists have recently discovered that humans can actually taste fat, and those who are more sensitive to its flavor tend to eat less of it, and have lower BMIs. This is different from the texture of fat in foods such as ice cream, which is associated with a richer mouth-feel. According to the scientists, all humans can taste fat in varying degrees, but some are more sensitive to it than others, just as with sweetness and saltiness. The scientists are trying to account for these sensitivities in fat flavor detection, which could lead to new ways to treat obesity.

Is this really news though? We all know what fat tastes like, and it tastes like butter, which is delicious to everyone.

The Dallas Morning Newsshares news about the contenders at the Texas State Fair's Big Tex Choice Awards that showcases the new foods at this year's fair, one of which includes deep-fried butter. Golf ball-size scoops of pure butter injected with different flavors, wrapped in dough, and then deep-fried.*

The creator, Abel Gonzales Jr., wanted to evoke the taste of buttered toast that he loves so much. Incidentally, he was also responsible for Texas Fried Cookie Dough, Fried Coke and Fried Peanut Butter, Jelly and Banana Sandwich, so it will likely be a big hit. Also on the menu are deep fried peach slices; since Texas is famous for peaches, and peaches taste great grilled, we can't wait to see what the State Fair treatment does to one of the best flavors of summer.

*Note that these are different than Paula Deen's notorious Fried Butter Balls which cut the butter with a little cream cheese.

The 163rd New York State Fair runs August 27th through September 7th in Syracuse, New York, and like any good state fair, there's a giant butter sculpture. This year's sculpture, made from 800 pounds of butter, features a cow behind the wheel of a vintage milk truck. The theme of "Cow Power" signifies how cows "can help generate energy that can power local communities through the use of methane digesters," reported Syracuse.com. See more photos at News 10 Now.

The Eastern Iowa Newsposted photos from the Iowa State Fair (that closed yesterday) including a butter Neil Armstrong and the traditional butter cow. There had been an online poll to determine whether or not there should have been a Michael Jackson butter sculpture "Moonwalking" next to Armstrong, but it was soundly rejected.

The Iowa State Fair is known for its butter sculptures, and for this year's fair (August 13-23), the theme is a celebration of the 40th anniversary of Neil Armstrong's moonwalk (including a "buttery rendition of the surface of the moon").

Given the magnitude of Michael Jackson's death, fair organizers gleefully announced that of course they would be honoring Jackson by adding his buttery likeness to the display "as the first pop-star to perfect and popularize choreographed moonwalking." Some people were offended (too soon!), so the organizers have decided to open it up to an online vote.

Absolutely not to our surprise, even PETA is getting involved in the controversy, calling for the statue to be made out of Earth Balance, a dairy-free natural "buttery" spread, instead. Says PETA: "Michael devoted much of his life and fortune to children's health charities, and the notion of promoting artery-clogging butter to young passersby is quite the opposite of 'healing the world' — and enough to make Mike roll over in his golden casket."

Last night on The Colbert Report, PK Winsome made an appearance as the "manufacturer" of shoddy Obama-themed products. One of the goods he made was Obamargarine, the commemorative butter substitute that had the slogan: "Yes, I can't believe that we elected a black president, and also that it's not butter."

Apparently there were problems, since it "turned out that it is butter, but not the kind you think."

Paula's Party is completely unwatchable unless you're on some serious pain medication. Luckily we were! We managed to catch the show this weekend, where she had a snowman made out of butter.

In one of the few cases of censorship on the Food Network we can imagine, guest Danny Boone (of Rescue Chef) had his words actually cut out — when he goes to scoop some butter off of the snowman for a recipe, he (censoredly) exclaims, "I just wiped a snowman's ass, how rich is that?"